TORONTO, ON / ACCCESSWIRE / February 24, 2021 / Sparta Group (TSXV:SAY) (the "Corporation" the "Company", "Sparta Group", "Sparta Capital", "SAY.V" or "Sparta") has just announced that Assure Tech's EcoTest® COVID-19 IgM/IgG Antibody Rapid Test and EcoTest® COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test they planned to incorporate into their COVID-19 Safety System have been authorized by Health Canada for point-of-care use across the country. This means Sparta can officially offer the Canadian trucking industry, as well as individuals in other business sectors, both antibody and antigen rapid tests as they endeavor to maintain a healthy workforce.
The terms antigen and antibody have become quite mainstream since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; but not everyone understands the difference. While antigen testing is intended to help determine the presence of viruses, such as the SARS-CoV-2 that can cause COVID-19, antibody testing can provide indication of whether or not the body's immune system sensed the presence of a particular virus and thus was called upon to fight. Cataloguing the results of both can help assess and determine prior COVID-19 infections, while watching for the spread of a virus and thus providing greater insight into the health of a workforce. Sparta management is pleased that their antigen test has one of the highest sensitivities rates of any antigen test authorized by Health Canada.
"Thanks to the hard work of our partner, SBL Testing Technologies, we can offer the trucking industry, as well as other industries, the opportunity to test their workers in a quick, convenient and comprehensive manner. By combining predictive analytics of employees' health with the information gained through complimentary EcoTest® antigen and antibody test protocols, every employer now has the ability to track and manage all COVID-19 testing in one dashboard," said Sparta President, John O'Bireck
The information gained through antigen and antibody test protocols is quite different but complimentary. While antigen testing is intended to help determine if a worker is presently infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, antibody testing can provide indication of whether or not a worker's immune system has had to fight the virus in the past, even though that worker may not have experienced any noticeable symptoms. Furthermore, all the testing can be tracked and catalogued within the Achu Health™ app. Studies suggest that antibodies to COVID-19 can be detected for weeks or even months after exposure. But there is not yet any definitive answer as to whether having COVID-19 antibodies automatically means you are immune to getting the virus more than once. However, by tracking the test data of those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 will help provide the workplace with some much-needed intel.
The authorizations from Health Canada comes at a time when stress among commercial truck drivers is at an all-time high. As pointed out in a recent CBC news story, the Canadian government's latest travel measures, which call for COVID-19 testing upon arrival, don't apply to truck drivers. As reported by the Canada Border Services Agency, almost half of the 10 million entries into Canada since March 2020 were commercial truck drivers.
"As the government scrambles to put together a plan for vulnerable truckers and the truckers themselves call for more protection, we have a set plan; a system that we can rollout to help put a lot of minds at ease," O'Bireck added.
About Sparta
Sparta Group (a.k.a. Sparta Capital Ltd.) is a technology-based company that owns or holds a controlling interest in a network of independent businesses that supply energy saving technologies designed to reduce energy inefficiencies, achieve reduced emissions and increase operating efficiencies in various industries. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Sparta has also expanded its scope to help facilitate supply of necessary materials while assisting talented inventors who are looking to introduce innovative technical solutions that will bring greater normalcy to the post COVID-19 world. Sparta's network of independent businesses provides a wide range of specialized energy capturing, converting, optimizing, and related services to the commercial sector. Sparta provides capital, technical and engineering expertise, legal support, financial and accounting knowledge, strategic planning and other shared services to its independent businesses.
Sparta is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. under the symbol "SAY" (TSX.V: SAY). Additional information is available at www.spartagroup.ca or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
For further information please contact:
John O'Bireck, President
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (905) 751-8004
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Corporation believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date of publication of this news release and the Corporation undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Furthermore, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Corporation. These include, but are not limited to, the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, necessary financing and risks associated with the environmental technologies industry in general. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
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SOURCE: Sparta Capital Ltd.